Method of making metal wheels



May 20, 1930.

E. C. MOGFORD ET AL METHOD OF MAKING METAL WHEELS Original Filed Abril 19, 1926 'closed an improved construction of metallic I which is preferaby MEDMUND c] MoGEonD, 0F

Patented May 20, 1930 "PATENT -f OFFICE BUCANAN, AND .FREDERICK W. BURGER, OF-NILES, MIGHI- GAN, ASSIGNORS TO CLARK EQUIPMENT COMPANY, OF-BUGBANAN, MICHIGAN, A

CORPORATION 0F MICHIGAN METHOD Original application led 'April 19,

The present invention relates to the lmaking of metal wheels of the spoke type and embodies certain improvements upon the invention disclosed in our copending application, Serial No. 33,657, filed May 29th, 1925.

This application is divisional of our copending application, Serial No. 102,892 filed j April 19th, 1926.

In said copending applications we have diswheel and method of making the same, wherein the wheel is built. up or constructed from a rigid spider'preferably-made of a hollow casting which constitutes a hub and hollow spoke structure, and a continuous metal rimor felly in the shape of a wrought metal continuous band of outwardly facing channelsection secured upon the outer ends of this hollow spoke struct-ure. One of the features of the aforesaid invention disclosed in the earliest application resides in the Inan-J ner of securing the metal rim in interlocking engagementwith the ends of the hollow spokes. i

In the particularv method therein disclosed the metal ofthe rim, that is, the web portion of the rim, is pressed into the outer open ends of the spokes, forming drawn depressions or punched spigots extending into the ends of 'the'spokes According to the present invention the rim land the-spokes are interlocked byforming a` 'multiplicity of points of interlocking engagement between the web of the rim and the spoke end after the spider has been forced in i compression into the rim under tension, which points of engagement are distributed over a considerable area on' the "outer en d of the spoke and on the' web of the rim sothat no part of theweb of the rim iS considerable extentv the strength of the web,

j have to be considerable distance,

and hence injure an 'important structural member in the interstressed structure. joining the rim and the spoke according to the present method the metal in the rim does not drawn or extruded through any and consequently there is no tendency for attenuation or destructive or Maxine METAL WHEELS and refinements the interlocking overstressed or punctured, which would tend to destroy to aI 'the outer end of'each spoke,

i926, serial No. 102,892. Divided and this application mea p1-11i 1a,V

1928. Serial No. 271,256. t

strain of the metal. This is of decided advantage in many instances because of the varying thicknesses or gauges of metal used in different rims, and not only is a'strong interlocking joint secured bymultiplicity. of shoulders but the structural strength is not imv aired. Y

further'important advantage in the resent method of interlocking the rim an the ends of the spokes resides in the factthat the formation ofthese interlocking shoulders between rim and spokes tends still furtherlto tension the web of the rim and hence the run itself, which is highly beneficial insecuring' the interstressed relation of rim Vand spokes forming the wheel.

According to the present invention the ends of the spokes are formed with enlargements or so-called pads which extend out laterally. A 70 from the shaft or column of thespoke at the point wherethe spoke engages the rim.- This pad or enlargement has a double, function. First, it provides a relatively large bearing surface between the end of the spoke and the web of the rim, and second, it serves as a convenient means-for supporting the end of the spoke when the web is pressed down` into interlocking engagement with the end of the spoke.

By thus supporting the pad and operating upon the web over -it the main body-of the wheel is'not s bjected to thestress which is required to de orm the web of the rim to form' shoulders. Since very considerable force 1s-required thus to deform the web of the rim into engagement with the shoulders on the end of the spoke, if the same is not immediately taken up -by the support las constructed in accordance sponding to a section taken on the plane of the line 2-2 of Fig. 3, with the joint producing dies in position. e

Fig. 3 is afragmentary plan or outer elevational view of the rim showing the interlockingideformations therein; and

Fig. 4is a similar view showing an interlocking bead of modified outline. l

The wheelconstucted in accordance with our invention comprises a hub and spoke structure, which is preferably cast as a unit,

. the spokes being hollow and relatively thick v 4 indicates the hub .is preferably a continuous and short and provided 'at their outer ends with pads or laterally extending seats having cylindrical spaces adapted to receive and support a rim of outwardly facing .channel section. The rim has relatively great strength to'resist bending and crushing and will support a great load in tension. The casting that constitutes the hub andspokes may be made of steel or malleable iron, and the rim steel band of known form providing a felloel andsupporting a tire carrying rim preferably of the de- I'nountable type; Referring to the drawings, portion of the casting, 5 the spokes, and 6 the pads or enlargements at the outer ends of the spokes which support the rim 7 The pads 6'are chamfered at one side along their outer margin to facilitate pressing thehollow spoke structure into the rim which is preferably done by means of a hydraulic press, although conceivably the rim may be put upon the spider in any other preferred manner which will result in placing the rim under tension upon the outer ends of the spokes which are thereby held in compression.

Referring to Fig. 2, the spokes 5 are hollow, and the end of each spoke opens out through the outer surface of-its pad 6 through the hole 8. The margin preferably tapered or beveled to form the inclined interlocking surface 9. Formedvin the outer surface of the pad 6 and surrounding the'opening 8 is a substantially continuous groove or surface identation 11 which is 'spaced from the opening or depression 8 laterally with respect to the axis of the spoke. This groove may be either U-shaped or V- shaped in section, preferably thelatter, so as to form two sloping locking surfaces 12'and `and spoke structure is first formed of a casting or otherwise formed as a rigid structure and is brought to a suitable initial size suiand spoke structure is of this hole or opening 8'isinside diameter of the rim so as to secure a good tight fit or-its equivalentif theassembly is otherwisesecured. Where the parts are assembled by a pressin operation the hub tforced laterally into the continuous rim 7 to bring the pads .to their f proper placerelative to the width ofthe rim. The chamfered side edges of the pads 6 facilitate the forced insertion of the spoke structure into the rim. To facilitate assembly the spider is preferably pre-slzed so that the outer surfaces of the pads 6 will be approximately cylindrical to conform to the inner-cylindricalsurface oftherim with which it is to be assembled. The action of forcing the spider into the felloe or otherwise securing the rim upon the ends of'the spokes places thefelloe under a relatively great compression, and the wheel remains in this condition at all times even under load. The wheel is then presented to the action of a suitable power press having a suitably formed pressing die 20 which operates upon the o'uter sur' face of the web of the rim directly over the spoke-end, this spoke-end and pad being fixedly held in a stationary split die 21. By thussupporting the pad 6 when the depression of the web into the groove 14 and recesses 15 occurs the stress required to force the web of the channel into the recess or recesses in the pad does not come upon the rest of the wheel. This` is highly advantageous as it localizes the stress upon a part that is well adapted to sustain the great pressure required. The pressing die 20 presses a bead 14 from the web of the rim down into the groove 11. Simultaneously therewith the die presses or draws a cup-shaped depression 15 down into the opening 8 in the end of the spoke. Such depression of the metal of the web of the channel-shaped felloe into the groove 14 and recess 15 tends to increase still further the tension of the rim upon the outside of the spider. l v

lThe bead 14 thus formed in this pressing operation will have interlocking engagement with the two concentric locking surfaces 12. 1-3 of thepad 6. Also thedrawn or punched Aportion `15 will have interlocking engage- .ment with the central interlocking surface 9 formed at the end of the spoke. three lines of interlocking engagement between the rim and the spoke will be secured as distinguished from the single line of interlocking engagement that characterizes all earlier inventions wherein the metal is merely pressed down into the open end of the spokes. It will be observed that these three lines of interlocking engagement are distributed considerably over the outer surface of the pad 6 which is advantageous in that it distributes any separating stresses between the rim and spoke over a relatively wide area of rim metal. It is not necessary to draw Thus v or .extrude the metal through any considerable distance in securing this interlocking relation-the bead 14 and cap 15 ,being both comparatively shallow-andhence any tendency of the metal to attenuate or to have injurious strains set up therein is largely avoided. Thus rims having different thicknesses or gauges of metal may be employed wit-hout injury to the rim or weakening of the joint. 4 j

Because the flared vunder side of the pad 6 is rigidly supporte/d in the stationary split die 21 during this operation and because the metal of the rim is backed up by the upper surface of the pad it is possible to exert considerable pressure upon this metal so that this Y, portion of the rim can be stretched tight and in firm contact with the grippingA circle `or pressure point formed by the locking s urfaces 9, 12 and 13.' Y

The drawing of the central cup-shaped depression 15is advantageous in that it tends to stretch or draw the metal tight over the top of the ridge 10; nevertheless this central depression may be'omitted entirely as the interlocking engagement between the bead 14- and the ,groove 11 is of ample strength. Where4v this depression 15 `is formed in the metal it preferably consists of a drawn form as shown, the metal might bepunched down into the open end of thew spoke to form an inwardly extending spigot. j It will be observed that with the construction described the locking surfaces on the spokes are provided without materially affectingy the substantially'cylindrical contour of the outer face of the pads so that the forcing of the spider into the rim is not interfered with.

We claim: 41. In a wheel having a hollow spoked spider held under compression by a rim under tension, the method of interlocking the rim and spider which comprises supporting the end of a spoke adjacent its bearing' onthe rim independently of the rest of the spider and pressing the metal locking engagement with the end of the spokes.

2. The method of making-a wheel whichcomprises forming a circular felloe of outwardly facing channel Vsection with iianges deep enough to resist distortion of the felloe spider thereinto, formingv a upon forcing a rigid spider with hollow' spokes having enlarged pads uponlthe ends f bling the felloe under tension upon the spider under compression, supporting the pad on the end of a spoke and pressing the web 'of s the channel into the end of the spoke.

`3. The method of making a wheel which comprises'forming a continuous circular felloe having a' cylindrical web and outwardly extending flanges, forming a rigid spoked spider with recessed pads on thea outer ends enlarged pads upon 4locking depressions in although 1f deslred this part of.

.in compression,

of the rim into inter-y of the spokes, assembling the felloe under tension upon the spider under compression, supporting the pads on the ends of the spokes and pressing the metal of the web into the recesses of said pads.

4.'The method of making a wheel which comprises forming a continuous circular felloe of outwardly facing channel section, forming a hollow cast spider with integral the outer ends thereof, recessing the peripheral faces of the pads, forcing the spider into the felloe to `put the into therecesses 1n a pad and simultaneously felloe unde'i`1 tension and the spider underl i supporting thepad to preventstressing of the remainder of the spider.

5. The method of constructing a wheel which comprises casting the hub and spokes in the form of a unitary spider with a plurality of interlocking depressions formed in the outer end of each spoke, and laterally` extending flanges on the end of the spoke, assembling a continuous metal rim upon the spider, supporting the spider upon the laterally extending flanges of a spoke, pressing portions of the rimmetal inwardly to interlocking engagement with the interthe outerv end of the spokes.

y6. The method of making a wheel which comprises forming a rigid spider comprising a hub and spokes with laterally extending flanges upon the outer ends thereof', recessing the ends of the spokes, forming a continuous rim of outwardly facing channel section, as-

and then sembling tlie rim in tension upon the spider depressing the metal of the web ofthe rim into the recess of the spoke and simultaneously supporting'thev flanges of the spoke over which pressure is applied.

c 7. In a wheel having an outwardly facing channel shaped rim and a spoked spider embraced thereby, the method of interlocking the metal of the rim into the ends of the spokes which comprises deforming the metal of the rim by pressure applied thereto in line with the spokes and individually supporting the ends ofthe spokes to take up the reaction of said pressure.

8. In the manufacture of a wheel of the class described, the method which comprises forming a rigid spider with enlarged pads on the outer ends thereof and forming recesses ing the peripheral faces of the p ds formingv a channel shaped rim, stretching t ie rim over the ends of the pads, pressing the web of the rim into the recess of a pad and simultaneously supporting the pad to take up the reaction of said pressing.

i In witness whereof, we hereunto subscribe our names this 13 day of April, 1928.

`Eni/.ruim o. 'MoGFoR-D.' FREDERICK wriinens. 

